Service to God
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom 12:1)
Have you ever been delightfully
surprised by unexpected encounters with works of nature? Coming up on a hill to
be greeted by a waterfall, walking through a field filled with wild flowers or
chancing upon a patch of shrubs bursting with berries in a forest? Often, these
beauties of nature are discovered in hidden places only by those who trod the
paths less traveled. These beauties bloom and display their glory even though
the chances are that no one will know they even exist.
These works of nature gives us a
good Christian lesson. We have heard much about the teaching to present our
bodies as a living sacrifice to God. However, when we talk about serving God
today, what comes to mind are what we do in church. Almost by default, service
to God is equated with the visibility and the amount of church work we do. We
place importance on work with conspicuity or “titles” at the expense of the
hidden works. The amount of church work done is misconceived as correlated with
one’s spirituality and with whether one is a living sacrifice to God.
To present our bodies a living
sacrifice is not only about participating in church duties. A living sacrifice
is actually a much harder service. It entails keeping oneself pure in spirit
and in conduct, leading a life pleasing to God, and being in favor also with
man (cf Lk 2:52). It’s something
we have to do 24/7. It’s about blooming and producing fruit even if no one ever
notices, because God is the one we are serving.
To live as a living sacrifice is
to shine forth God’s light no matter if people are watching and in all
circumstances. We have to carry God’s light in good times as well as in bad
times. Whether we are enjoying material wealth or in poverty, whether life is
stable or in much insecurity and uncertainty, we need to remember to make each
day a service to God.
Question for Reflection:
How can I change the way I am
living so that I am a living sacrifice to God each day?
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